Page 63 of Inked Temptation
“It’s on us.”
Archer raised a brow. “You don’t have to do that, Trevor.”
“No, we do. The owners like Liam and your sister Paige.”
I gave Archer a look as he winced.
“Let me guess. They know her ex?” Archer asked, his voice slightly cold.
Trevor nodded. “I remember him too. Great chef, but we loved Paige more. So, you get mushroom caps on us.”
“Thank you,” Archer said as he looked down at the food, and I met his gaze as Trevor walked away.
“Do I want to know?”
“I will tell you the whole sordid story of how finding restaurants in this state is getting a little challenging.”
I took a bite of the mushrooms and nearly moaned in glee. As the two of us ate, I learned more about being a Montgomery.
And I felt like everything just clicked, like I wasn’t making mistake after mistake.
I just shook my head and leaned into the conversation, learning more and actually answering questions when Archer had them.
This felt natural, as if we had done this a thousand times. It should worry me, and maybe it did, but not enough.
The steak melted in my mouth, the balsamic glaze was perfection, and the lavender chicken lived up to the hype as well.
By the time we were done, Archer followed me back to my house, and though I wasn’t sure what would happen next, I didn’t want the evening to end, and clearly Archer didn’t either.
When we pulled up to the place, I cursed loudly and stepped out of the car, turning off the engine.
“What the fuck?” I growled.
Paint smears of the gray and stone colors that I had picked for the outside were all over the rocks, windows, and boards that had covered where the broken glass had been before.
“Killian. This is bad.”
“Could it be kids? But kids aren’t that vicious. Not really.”
“I don’t know. But you’re going to call the cops, right?”
The mood completely deflated our after-date mood. I nodded and picked up my phone.
“You can head home if you want to. I’m afraid it’s going to be a long night.”
Archer stepped towards me, frowned, then kissed me square on the lips. “If you think you are doing this alone, you have another think coming.”
“I don’t know what to do now,” I whispered, hope and tension sliding through me.
“Well, you’re not alone. Cora is with Penny?”
Alarm shot through me and I nodded. “Can you call her? Check on them. Just in case.”
Archer picked up his phone and dialed Penny, as I called the cops.
I looked at the man with whom I’d had one of the most pleasant evenings I’d had in a while and wondered what I had done to deserve him. I wasn’t sure, but I’d have to keep it up.
I also had to figure out who the fuck was hurting this property and why they kept coming back.
